Lynn Barber (born 22 May 1944, Bagshot, Surrey^[1]) is a British journalist, who writes for The Sunday Times.

Early life[link]

Barber attended Lady Eleanor Holles School. While undertaking her A-levels, Barber had a two year relationship with a significantly older man, whom she knew as Simon Goldman, but who also called himself Simon Prewalski, ^[2]an associate of Peter Rachman, who deceived both Barber and her parents: this affair was subsequently to provide the basis for a memoir by Barber and a movie (see Career below).^[2]

She read English Language and Literature at St Anne's College, Oxford.^[2] While at Oxford she was "briefly" the girlfriend of drug smuggler Howard Marks,^[3] but met David Maurice Cloudesley Cardiff, whom she married in 1971; they had two daughters. Cardiff died in August 2003.^[4]

In 2010, listeners to BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs heard Barber admit to sleeping with 'probably 50 men' during two terms at Oxford. 'It was quite good going - I was just jamming them in,' she said.^[5][6]

Career[link]

Barber worked for Penthouse magazine for seven years until 1974,^[7] being successively editorial assistant, literary editor, features editor and deputy editor;^[8] she left to have children.^[9] From 1982-89 she was a feature writer on the Sunday Express magazine and joined The Independent on Sunday in 1990.^[8] Barber has also written for Vanity Fair, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Observer from 1996 to 2009.^[10] Best known for her interviews, she was once quoted by Will Self as describing her method as "start[ing] ... from a position of really disliking people, and then compel[ling] them to win you over."^[11] An interview with the conceptual artists Jake and Dinos Chapman was not a success: the Chapman Brothers have threatened to kill her if they ever meet again.^[12]

Barber has won five British press awards. Her books include two collections of interviews, Mostly Men and Demon Barber, a sex book How to Improve Your Man in Bed, and a survey of Victorian popular natural history writers, The Heyday of Natural History.

In 2006, Barber was one of the judges for the Turner Prize and wrote an article in The Observer critical of some aspects of the judging process.^[12] She currently appears on TV in Grumpy Old Women.

Barber's memoir of her teenage love affair, An Education, was published in June 2009.^[1] Its genesis was in a short piece on a similar theme that Barber wrote for British literary magazine Granta.^[13] Nick Hornby adapted this short article into a film of the same name, made by BBC Films and released in October 2009, and available on video from March 2010. In the meantime Barber had expanded the Granta article into her memoir; Hornby did not use Barber's book as source material for the film, just the Granta article.^[14]

It was announced in September 2009 that Barber would return to The Sunday Times later in the year writing for its magazine.^[10]

In July 2011, Barber was successfully sued by Sarah Thornton for libel and malicious falsehood over Barber's review of Seven Days in the Artworld that was published in the Daily Telegraph of 1 November 2008. ^[15]

Awards[link]

• British Press Awards "Interviewer of the Year" 2002^[16]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Barber's contributions at The Observer

Tiki Barber

Tiki Barber at the Tribeca Film Festival.
No. --     Free Agent
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1975-04-07) April 7, 1975 (age 37)
Place of birth: Roanoke, Virginia
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
College: Virginia
NFL Draft: 1997 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36
Debuted in 1997 for the New York Giants
Career history
New York Giants (1997–2006)
Career highlights and awards
3× Pro Bowl selection (2004, 2005, 2006) 3× All-Pro selection (2002, 2004, 2005) Super Bowl Appearance (XXXV) BBI Giant of the Year Award (2005) 10,000 Rushing Yards Club New York Giants All-Time Leading Rusher New York Giants Ring of Honor
Career NFL statistics as of 2010
Rushing yards 10,449 Average 4.7 Rushing TDs 55 Receptions 586 Receiving yards 5,183 Receiving touchdowns 12 Stats at NFL.com

Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber (pronounced /ˈtiːki/) (born April 7, 1975) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.

Barber retired from the NFL at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the New York Giants' all-time rushing and reception leader. On February 13, 2007, he was formally introduced as a correspondent for NBC's The Today Show and Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football.^[1] Tiki was also the host of NBC's pre-show for the 66th Golden Globe Awards with Brooke Burke and Nancy O'Dell. On September 18, 2007, Barber's book, Tiki: My Life and the Game Beyond was published. The autobiography was co-written by Gil Reavill. His second book, Tiki Barber's Pure Hard Workout, which was released on November 13, 2008, by Gotham Books, reveals Barber's intensive lifting program. The book is coauthored by his trainer, Joe Carini. He is the identical twin brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber.

On March 8, 2011, Barber filed papers with the NFL to come out of retirement.^[2]

NFL career[link]

Originally considered a third-down, "change of pace" back, Barber became a standout starting running back and the all-time leader in rushing yards in New York Giants history. In 2005, he was the NFL's top yardage gainer from the line of scrimmage. He was voted by his peers to three Pro Bowls. From 2003-2006, Tiki Barber gained the most yards from scrimmage by any NFL running back in that 4-year period.

1997-1999[link]

Barber was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2nd round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia. He was originally intended to be a third-down running back until Rodney Hampton had disappointing years in 1996 and 1997. Hampton retired after the 1997 season, giving Barber the starting nod. He began his career with a mediocre rookie campaign in which he started at running back and ran for 511 yards and 3 touchdowns. He missed four games with a knee injury, but returned to the starting lineup for the final two games of the year. In 1998, he was replaced as a starter and went through a disappointing, injury-riddled year before rebounding in 1999 when he accumulated 1,639 all-purpose yards, utilizing his punt return and receiving skills.

2000-2004[link]

Tiki Barber and the Giants represented the NFC in Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 but lost the game to the Baltimore Ravens. Established as a starter and playmaker, Barber was rewarded with a six-year contract from the Giants following the 2000 season. Following the signing, he called himself "the happiest man in New York right now."

Over the next four years Barber would become an integral part of the Giants' offense. In the last regular season game of 2002, Tiki exploded for 203 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles, at that time one of the league's best defenses. His performance helped the Giants clinch a playoff berth, but the team fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round. He ended the season with 1,984 yards from scrimmage.

The 2003 NFL season saw the Giants finish an abysmal 4-12. During the 2004 NFL season, Barber reached the endzone for a career-high 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,518 yards and notched 578 receiving yards for 2,096 total yards from scrimmage. On January 2, 2005, in the 2004 season finale at home versus the Dallas Cowboys, Tiki broke Rodney Hampton's Giants' all-time rushing record and Joe Morris's single-season rushing record in the same game. Poignantly, Barber broke the record on the final offensive play of the game, when he scored a game-winning touchdown to end an otherwise dismal 6-10 season for the Giants on a high point.

However, the team struggled once again and won only six contests in the 2004 season.

2005 season[link]

2005 was a rebound year for the Giants and Barber's career year in terms of rushing yards. Led by Eli Manning and Barber, they finished 11-5 and won the NFC East title for the first time since 2000. On December 17, 2005, Barber broke the Giants' single-game rushing record against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 220 yards; he would break his own record the following year. It was his second (of three) 200-yard rushing games during the 2005 season, as he ran for 206 yards in week 8. The Giants promptly shut out the Washington Redskins 36-0 two days after Mara was buried, proper homage to their beloved owner, to whom Tiki himself was especially close.

He finished the 2005 regular season with 1,860 rushing yards (second in the league to Shaun Alexander and a career high for Barber) and 2,390 all-purpose yards with a performance of 203 rushing yards against the Oakland Raiders in the final game of the season. Barber's 95-yard touchdown run set a Giants' team record for longest touchdown run, previously held by Hap Moran for a 91-yard run on November 23, 1930 vs the Green Bay Packers.^[3]

The season ended prematurely, as the Giants were shut out 23-0 to the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

Barber's 2,390 total yards for 2005 was second highest in NFL history, at the time, behind Marshall Faulk's 2,429 total yards in 1999. It is also the highest total for a running back 30 years of age or older. He was named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad for the second time in his career, and was voted an All Pro. Barber placed fourth in the voting for the 2005 MVP award. Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander won the Award, followed by Peyton Manning (second place) and Tom Brady (third place).

He was nominated for the 2005 FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award, along with LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander. Barber also signed a contract extension in September 2005 which extended his contract through 2008 and increased his pay.

2006 season[link]

In the 2006 season, Barber continued his fine play in his final season and final games as an NFL player, a rarity for running backs who often break down late in their careers. His total yardage on the season was higher than any other running back in history in their last season.

Barber rushed for 1,662 yards and five touchdowns in his 2006 campaign. During week 14 at Carolina, Barber rushed for 112 yards to help the Giants end a four-game losing skid. Tiki's best game in 2006 was in Week 17 at Washington, where he rushed for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Giants 34-28 victory against the Redskins, a win that gave the Giants a playoff berth. In that game, Tiki set a new team record for rushing yards in a single game by breaking his own record, which he had set the previous year versus Kansas City. His 234 rushing yards are the most ever by a player over 30 years old. He also holds the record for most 200 yard rushing games by a player over 30 years old with four. Only three other players have one.

In his final game with the Giants, a playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Barber rushed for 137 yards on 26 carries. After the game, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins embraced Barber and told him, "You're a warrior."^[4]

As a Pro Bowler in his final season, Barber's last official game was the 2007 Pro Bowl on on February 10, 2007 in Hawaii.

NFL retirement[link]

In October 2006, Barber revealed his intention to retire at the end of the 2006 NFL season. Barber had previously indicated his desire to retire at some point and pursue a broadcasting career. When questioned why a player at the peak of his game would retire, Barber cited the toll the physical nature of football takes on a person's body.

During his career with the Giants, the team never won a championship, a top goal of Barber's that he spoke publicly about in 2005. When announcing his retirement, Barber seemed at peace to leave the game without a Super Bowl ring. He said, "I used to think my career was defined by not winning a Super Bowl. But I think looking back on my career, they'll see someone who was a competitor, someone who always played hard and never gave up." ^[5] He officially filed his retirement papers with the Players Association on February 12, 2007.

In the very next NFL season following Barber's retirement, the New York Giants went on to defeat the previously undefeated New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII,in one of the greatest upsets in NFL history. Barber was present to cover the event, but was not well received by most of his former teammates and Giants' fans, after his disparaging remarks about his former teammate and then-Giants quarterback, Eli Manning.^[6]

Return to NFL[link]

On March 8, 2011, Barber filed paperwork to come out of retirement.^[2] Although the New York Giants still retained the rights to Barber, the Giants planned to release him once the NFL and the NFLPA reach a collective bargaining agreement.^[2]

On April 28, 2011, Barber was quoted saying that his comeback was "not about the money"; however, the New York Post ran a contradictory news story in 2010, reporting that Barber is seeking to return to the NFL because he is not financially solvent, and unable to pay his divorce settlement with his ex-wife.^[7]

On July 28, 2011, the Giants officially removed Barber from the retired list, allowing him to freely sign with any team.^[8] On August 2, 2011, Barber took a step closer to coming out of retirement by working out with the Miami Dolphins.^[9]

On September 5, 2011, Barber's agent, Mark Lepselter ^[10] confirmed that none of the teams within the NFL had shown any interest in signing the running back to a new fifty-three man roster.^[11][12]

Player Profile[link]

Running style[link]

Starting from his breakout season in 2000, Barber was known for his exceptional cutback running, quick feet, and running vision. He also was an adept receiver out of the backfield with over 450 receiving yards and over 50 receptions every season from 2000 to 2006.

After the 2003 year, in spite of his rushing numbers, Tiki had one glaring weakness to overcome: fumbling the football. Barber had six lost fumbles in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons, including three lost fumbles in a single game against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 28, 2002. When Coach Tom Coughlin arrived he taught Tiki to hold the ball vertically instead of horizontally (a common method adopted in rugby). After changing this his fumbles went down dramatically: in 2004, he only had 2 lost fumbles.

Barber began to focus on strength training and lifting in 2004, upon the suggestion of his new running backs coach, Jerald Ingram. Tiki began to work with a strength coach, Joe Carini, in New Jersey. His added upper-body strength allowed him to break more tackles and become a more powerful runner. Barber also improved in other ways over the course of his career. He improved his patience as a runner, waiting for blocks to set and holes to emerge before accelerating forward. He also learned to deliver blows to defenders instead of being on the receiving end of them.^[13] He also benefitted from an improved offensive line and Coughlin's emphasis on the running game.

New York Giants team records[link]

• Longest Touchdown Run: 95 yards, December 31, 2005 vs. the Oakland Raiders
• Most Rushing Attempts, Season: 357, 2005 season
• Most Rushing Attempts, Career: 2,217
• Most 100 Yard Games, Season: 9, 2004 season
• Most 200 Yard Games, Season: 3, 2005 season
• Most Rushing Yards, Single Game: 234 yards, December 30, 2006 vs. the Washington Redskins
• Most Rushing Yards, Season: 1,860 yards, 2005 season
• Most Rushing Yards, Career: 10,449 yards
• Most Total Yards, Season: 2,390 yards, 2005 season
• Most 1,000 Yard Seasons: 6
• Yards Per Carry, Career: 4.7
• Most Total Yards, Game: 276 (203 rushing yards, 73 receiving yards), December 28, 2002 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
• Most Total Yards (Rushing, Receiving, Returns and Fumble Yardage), Career: 17,359
• Most Yards From Scrimmage (Rushing and Receiving), Career: 15,632
• Highest Average 100+ yards from scrimmage per game, Career (min: 150 games): 101.5
• Most Fumble Recoveries, Game: 3, October 29, 2000 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles

Strahan contract controversy[link]

In 2002, All-Pro Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was negotiating a new contract, and Tiki Barber publicly criticized Michael Strahan's negotiating stance. He felt Strahan should have agreed to the contract the Giants offered and remarked that Strahan was greedy. The contract impacted the team as Strahan's cap number exceeded $12 million and the new contract would have lowered Strahan's cap number, greatly helping the team get under the 2002 Salary Cap. "I don't know if he realizes how much $17 million is," Barber told the NY Post. "That is absolutely ridiculous, to turn that down. He's already the highest-paid defensive player in the league. He's already making more than most quarterbacks...Michael is not thinking about the team; he's thinking about himself".^[14]

Keith Hamilton, a teammate of Strahan and Barber at the time, then responded with comments critical of Barber. Players generally believe that they should not speak about the contracts of other players. Beyond that, some members of the Giants defense harbored resentment of the offense, which was lackluster and unproductive in the 1990s. "The defense has carried the offense, carried the team, since I've been here," Hamilton told The Star-Ledger. "[Barber] hasn't been here long enough or done enough to say anything. For him to shoot his mouth off, acting like he's Mr. New York, yeah, I'm ticked off. Strahan is the single-season sack record-holder. He's the AP Defensive Player of the Year. He's one of the best - if not the best - defensive ends in the game. And you tell me this guy is being greedy? That's a bunch of crap. I've heard enough. Who is Tiki Barber to shoot his mouth off? What has he done? He talks like he's acting in the best interest of the team. Tell him to give his $7 million (signing bonus) back. Since he's so charitable, why doesn't he volunteer his $7 million? He says all the politically correct things. Ask him if he's giving up some of his money." Despite this incident, Strahan and Barber are currently friendly with each other in public.^[14]

Coaching criticism[link]

Although Barber's statistics improved greatly after Tom Coughlin became the Giants' head coach, Barber disliked and criticized Coughlin's coaching style. During the coach's tenure, Barber publicly questioned the team's coaching on two occasions. After being shut out at home in the first round of the 2005 playoffs by the Carolina Panthers, Tiki made a post-game comment that he felt the Giants had been outcoached by their former defensive coordinator, the Panthers' head coach John Fox. Heavy sports media attention was placed on the comment; Tiki apologized for it shortly afterwards, saying he only meant to convey the Giants' performance was 'unacceptable'.

After a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2006 season, Barber criticized the playcalling for abandoning the running game too soon.^[15] Both times Coughlin and Barber met to discuss the comments.

On the eve of what would be his last game with the Giants, Barber told ESPN that he is "demeaned and talked down to" by Coughlin.^[16]

After retiring, Barber attributed his decision to retire to Coughlin's unrelenting style in practice. "(Coughlin) pushed me in the direction (of television)," said Barber. "I don't know if you realize this, but we were in full pads for 17 weeks, and with the amount of injuries that we had, it just takes a toll on you. You physically don't want to be out there, when your body feels the way you do, in full pads."^{[citation needed]}

Feud with Eli Manning[link]

Just after his retirement, Barber questioned Giants quarterback and ex-teammate Eli Manning's leadership abilities in an interview before the start of the 2007 season. Barber was quoted as saying that Manning's motivational pre-game speeches sounded "almost comical." According to the New York Daily News, Manning dismissed Barber's critique as irrelevant and questioned the ex-Giant's leadership skills, too. "I'm not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say," Manning said. "I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and [how] he's lost the heart [to play]. As a quarterback you're reading that your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it's about the 10th week. I can see that a little bit at times." Manning went on to lead the Giants to a win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII that season and second victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

Post-football career[link]

Broadcasting[link]

After retiring from the NFL, Barber began a second career as a television broadcaster. Barber immediately landed a role with NBC in which he contributed to the Today program, covered sports for NBC Sports, and hosted entertainment events for NBC Universal. Barber was introduced as a correspondent for NBC's Today and analyst for Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football on February 13, 2007.^[1] This came after a competition for his services was waged between ABC, FOX, NFL, and NBC. As a Today correspondent, Barber anchored lifestyle segments and reports on news stories. He was rumored to be a potential long-term candidate for Matt Lauer's co-host position on Today. However, Lauer renewed his contract with NBC in 2012 and is still its host.

Barber is unusual among retired athletes in his desire to cover hard news and political stories; in 2006 Barber cited a lunch with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the highlight of his year.^[17]

While still an NFL player, Barber gained broadcasting experience. On television, he co-hosted the morning news program Fox & Friends on select Tuesday mornings. On radio, he hosted Barber Shop a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio with his brother Ronde during the football season. In the offseason, he hosted a political and general interest radio program; Senator John McCain was his first interview. Barber originally began his broadcasting career on WFAN radio and the WCBS local news in New York.

In May 2008, Barber filled the spot of Willie Geist on the MSNBC program Morning Joe while Geist was on vacation.

In August 2008, Barber helped broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympics on MSNBC and was a commentator for Yahoo! sports for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, the New York Post reported that NBC has dropped him from his contributor's role on NBC's The Today Show. Barber was quietly let go in May 2010 by the network after his contract was not renewed by NBC earlier that year.

Barber appeared as a studio pundit on the BBC's Super Bowl XLV coverage.^[18]

Miscellaneous TV appearances[link]

Barber is a frequent judge on the Food Network show Iron Chef America.

Barber appeared with his family on NBC's show Celebrity Family Feud which premiered on June 24, 2008.

Barber appeared as the guest in the "Not My Job" section of the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in November 2008. He answered three questions about Mickey Mouse on the occasion of Mickey's 80th birthday.^[19]

Barber was the 'mobile shout out' on an episode of the Discovery Channel game show Cash Cab. The question was "What is the name of the famous John Steinbeck novel that followed the travels of Tom Joad?". Both Barber and the contestant incorrectly answered with Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry; the correct answer was The Grapes of Wrath.

In the 2008 series Knight Rider, Barber played a drill sergeant who was murdered during an underground MMA fight in the episode "Fight Knight". His character was filmed dressing down an unseen private and used by KITT to distract the owner of the illegal club long enough to allow for capture by Michael. He was also spoofed by KITT at the end of the episode.

Barber appears in multiple episodes as himself in the 2009 iteration of The Electric Company. His "character" is adored by women and adolescents alike and is portrayed as a very likable and forthright role model. One episode even puts him in the role of a judge, trying a case of pet negligence towards his bird.

In the Dave Matthews Band music video, for their song "Everyday", Barber was featured as one of the people being hugged.

Business activities[link]

Barber is pursuing business and investment opportunities, reportedly inking a contract to serve as a partner and investor in O Beverages LLC, the maker of fruit-infused bottled water^[20] as well as opening a high-tech cycling gym in NYC.^[21]

Personal[link]

He is the identical twin brother of Ronde Barber, a cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Until recently, Barber lived in New York City with his wife, fellow University of Virginia alum Ginny Cha, whom he married on May 15, 1999. On April 5, 2010 it was announced that he and his wife were separating after 11 years of marriage.^[22][23] They have two sons, A.J. (Atiim Kiambu Junior), born July 8, 2002, and Chason, born March 18, 2004 and twin daughters born May 24, 2010.^[24] Reports surfaced that Barber had left his pregnant wife for a much younger woman, 23-year-old former NBC intern Traci Lynn Johnson.^[25]

In the May 30, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated, Barber described hiding out with Johnson in his agent Mark Lepselter's attic so that he wouldn't get caught.^[26] Barber was quoted as saying that "Lep's Jewish, and it was like a reverse Anne Frank thing." Barber's comments were quickly condemned by the New York media.^[27]

Books authored by the Barber twins[link]

Barber has authored eight illustrated children's books with his brother Ronde.

• By My Brother's Side (2004)
• Game Day (2005)
• Teammates (2006)
• Kickoff! (2007)
• Go Long! (2008)
• Wild Card (2009)
• Red Zone (2010)
• Goal Line (2011)

See also[link]

• History of the New York Giants (1994–present)

Notes[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tiki Barber

The Up Series is a series of documentary films produced by Granada Television that have followed the lives of fourteen British children since 1964, when they were seven years old. The documentary has had eight episodes spanning 49 years (one episode every seven years) and the documentary has been broadcast on both ITV and BBC. In a 2005 Channel 4 programme, the series topped the list of The 50 Greatest Documentaries.

The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that time, with the explicit assumption that each child's social class predetermines their future. Every seven years, the director, Michael Apted, films new material from as many of the fourteen as he can get to participate. The purpose is also stated at the beginning of "7 Up," as, "Why do we bring these children together? Because we want to get a glimpse of England in the year 2000. The union leader and the business executive of the year 2000 are now 7 years old."

56 Up consisted of 3 x 1 hour parts, the first of which premiered on 14 May 2012.

Creation[link]

The first film in the series, Seven Up!, was directed by Paul Almond, and commissioned by Granada Television as a programme in the World in Action series broadcast in 1964. From 7 Plus Seven onward the films have been directed by Michael Apted, who had been a researcher on Seven Up! and chose the original children with Gordon McDougall. The premise of the film was taken from the Jesuit motto "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man", which is based on a quotation by Ignatius Loyola. The 1998 programme was commissioned by BBC One, although still produced for them by Granada Television.

Participants[link]

We are first introduced to the subjects on a group visit to London Zoo, where the narrator announces "We brought these 20 children together for the very first time." The series, however, only follows fourteen: Bruce Balden, Jackie Bassett, Symon Basterfield, Andrew Brackfield, John Brisby, Peter Davies, Susan Davis, Charles Furneaux, Nicholas Hitchon, Neil Hughes, Lynn Johnson, Paul Kligerman, Suzanne Lusk and Tony Walker.

The participants were chosen in an attempt to represent different social classes in Britain in the 1960s. Apted admits in the commentary track of the 42 Up DVD that he was asked to find children at the extremes. Because the show was not originally intended to become a repeating series, no long-term contract was signed with the participants. The interviews since Seven Up! have been voluntary, although the participants have been paid an unknown sum for their appearance in each film, as well as equal parts of any prize the film may win, says Apted. Each subject is filmed in about two days, and the interview itself takes more than six hours. In an interview with the BBC's Will Gompertz shortly before the broadcast of 56 Up, Michael Apted admitted that it had been a poor decision to include only four female participants.^[1]

Andrew[link]

Andrew was one of three boys chosen from the same pre-preparatory school in the wealthy London suburb of Kensington (the other two being Charles and John). The three are introduced in Seven Up! singing "Waltzing Matilda" in Latin. At the age of seven, when asked what newspaper he reads, if any, Andrew stated that he reads The Financial Times (although he later revealed he was in fact just repeating what his father had told him when asked the same question), and all three could say which prep schools, public schools and universities they planned to attend (Oxford/Cambridge in all cases); two named the specific Oxbridge college they intended to join.

Andrew Brackfield's academic career culminated in his studying at Trinity College, Cambridge. Andrew subsequently became a solicitor, married, and raised a family. He is the only one out of the three to have been in all the Up films.

Charles[link]

Charles Furneaux did not make it into Oxford, although at 21 he said he was glad to have avoided the "prep school-Marlborough-Oxbridge conveyor belt" by going to Durham University instead, later attending Oxford as a post-graduate student. Charles has worked in journalism in varying capacities over the years, including as a producer for the BBC, and in the making of documentary films, including Touching the Void. He chose not to appear in the series after 21 Up, other than the contribution of an occasional photograph. During an on-stage interview at London's National Film Theatre in December 2005, Apted revealed that Charles had attempted to sue him when he refused to remove Charles's likeness from the archive sequences in 49 Up. Apted also commented on the irony that as a documentary maker himself, Charles was the only one who refused to continue.^[2]

By the time of 56 Up, all references to Charles had been removed, other than in fleeting glimpses of joint shots with Andrew and John, suggesting that his threat to sue Apted was taken seriously. It is not clear why and when Charles's reluctance to appear turned into active action to be removed.

John[link]

John Brisby, who was vocal on politics by 14, attended Oxford and became a barrister.^[3] He married the daughter of an ambassador to Bulgaria and devotes himself to charities related to Bulgaria, and hopes to reclaim family land there that had been nationalized. He said in 35 Up that he only does the films to give more publicity to his chosen charities. In 56 Up, John criticized Apted's decision to originally portray him as part of the "privileged upper class". He related that his father had died when he was 9, and his mother had to work to put him through private school. He attended Oxford University on scholarship.

Suzy[link]

Suzanne (Suzy) Lusk comes from a wealthy background, and was first filmed at a boarding school. Her parents divorced around the time of 7 Plus Seven. She then dropped out of school at the age of 16, deciding to travel to Paris. By 21, she had formed a strong negative opinion about marriage. Her husband Rupert Dewey is a successful solicitor in Bath and they have three children; two boys and a girl. She became a bereavement counsellor.

Jackie, Lynn and Sue[link]

These three girls were chosen from the same primary school in a working class neighbourhood of London. Jackie Bassett and Susan (Sue) Davis eventually went to a comprehensive school, while Lynn Johnson attended a grammar school. Jackie and Lynn both married at 19, Sue at 24. Lynn became a children's (and later, school) librarian at 21 and has remained in that career since then. Jackie went through several different jobs, got divorced, and raised children as single parents. Sue had two children, divorced, and has now been engaged for 14 years. She works as a university administrator for Queen Mary's university, despite not having gone to university herself.

Tony[link]

Tony Walker was chosen from a primary school in the East End of London who is introduced along with his girlfriend Michelle. He wanted to be a jockey at 7, and was at a stable training as one by 14. By 21 his chance had come and gone, after riding in three races before giving it up, and he was proud to have competed against Lester Piggott. He then "did 'The Knowledge'" and made a comfortable life for himself and his family as a London taxi driver. His later dream of becoming an actor has met with modest success; he has had small parts as an extra (almost always playing a cabbie) in several TV programmes since 1986, including Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, The Bill, and twice in EastEnders, most recently in 2003. In 35 Up Tony admitted that being in a monogamous relationship was becoming a strain, and by 42 Up he had actually committed adultery, though he and his wife have got past it and are still together. By 42 Up, he had moved to Essex and by 49 Up, owned two homes, including a holiday home in Spain.

Paul[link]

Paul Kligerman was at a charity-based boarding school at 7, his parents having divorced and he having been left with his father. Soon after Seven Up! his father and stepmother moved the family to Australia, where he has remained in the Melbourne area ever since. By 21, he had more presence, long hair, and a girlfriend whom he later married and remains with today. After leaving school he was employed as a bricklayer and later set up his own business. In 49 Up he is working for a sign-making company. In both 21 Up and 49 Up, Paul was reunited with Symon, who had attended the same boarding school; portions of their time together are included in both films.

Symon[link]

The only participant with a non-white background is mixed-race. Symon Basterfield was chosen from the same charity home as Paul. He was an illegitimate child, who apparently never got to know his black father, and had left the charity home to live with his white mother by the time of the 7 Plus Seven filming; her depression is alluded to as the cause for him being in the home. As the filming for 35 Up was taking place, he was going through a divorce from his first wife and mother of his five children, and he elected not to take part in that film. Symon returned for 42 Up and 49 Up, remarried with one son and one stepdaughter. In 49 Up, he and his wife had become foster parents.

Nick[link]

William Nicholas (Nick) Hitchon was raised on a small farm in Arncliffe, a tiny village in the Yorkshire Dales. He was educated in a one-room school four miles walk from his home, and later at a boarding school. He went to Oxford University and then moved to the United States to work as a nuclear physicist. He married another British ex-pat, who participated in 28 Up but was displeased with how her comments were received by viewers, many of whom apparently concluded that the marriage was doomed. She declined to appear in 35 Up and 42 Up. By 49 Up the couple had divorced and Nick had remarried, this time to Cryss Brunner, who is ten years his senior and teaches in Minneapolis. Nick is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.^[4]

Peter[link]

Peter Davies went to the same middle-class Liverpool suburban school as Neil, who like Peter wanted to be an astronaut. Peter drifted through university, and by age 28 he was an underpaid and seemingly uninspired school teacher. Peter dropped out of the series after 28 Up, when he lost his job as a teacher following a tabloid press campaign against him after he criticised the government of Margaret Thatcher in his interview. In the director's commentary for 42 Up it is stated that he later divorced, took up study of the law, has become a lawyer, re-married, had children and moved back to Liverpool. He made a surprise return to the series in 56 Up to promote his band, the Liverpool-based country-influenced The Good Intentions.^[5]

Neil[link]

From a 'Liverpool suburb' Neil Hughes turned out to be the most unpredictable of the entire group. At seven he was funny, full of life and hope. By the time of 21 Up he was homeless in London, having dropped out of Aberdeen University after one term, and was living in a squat and finding work as he could on building sites. During the interview he is clearly in an agitated state, and it becomes apparent that he has mental health issues and is struggling to cope with life. At 28 he was still homeless, although now in Scotland; by 35 he was living in a council house on the Shetland Islands, off the north coast of Scotland, writing and appearing in the local pantomime. By the time of 42 Up he had finally found some stability in his life (with some help from Bruce — he was living in Bruce's apartment in London and Bruce had become a source of emotional support) and was involved in local council politics, as a Liberal Democrat in the London Borough of Hackney. By the time of 49 Up, he is a District Councillor in the Eden district of Cumbria, in North West England.^[6] Neil stood in the 2010 general election as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Carlisle where he finished third, receiving 6,567 votes.^[7]

Bruce[link]

Bruce Balden was an idealist who was concerned with poverty and racial discrimination and wanted to become a missionary. He was attending a prestigious boarding school. At the age of seven, he said that his greatest desire was to see his father, who was a soldier in Rhodesia, and he seemed a little abandoned. Bruce studied mathematics at Oxford University and used his education to teach children in the East End of London and Sylhet, Bangladesh. Before 42 Up, he married, and Apted broke the seven-year structure of the films to film Bruce's wedding, which was also attended by Neil. Eventually becoming burned out with teaching in the East End, Bruce currently teaches at St Albans School, Hertfordshire, a prestigious public school. Between 42 Up and 49 Up, he had two sons, and is happily married to a fellow teacher.

Participation record[link]

		7 Up (1964)	14 Up (1970)	21 Up (1977)	28 Up (1984)	35 Up (1991)	42 Up (1998)	49 Up (2005)	56 Up (2012)
1	Andrew	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
2	Charles	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
3	John	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	Y
4	Suzy	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
5	Jackie	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
6	Lynn	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
7	Sue	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
8	Tony	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
9	Paul	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
10	Symon	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y
11	Nick	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
12	Peter	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
13	Neil	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
14	Bruce	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

Influence[link]

The series has received extraordinary praise over the years, the epitome of which may be Roger Ebert's comments that it is "an inspired, even noble, use of the film medium", that the films "penetrate to the central mystery of life",^[8] and that the series is among his top ten films of all time. Attempts have been made to repeat the series with subjects in the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan, and South Africa. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, 28 Up was placed 26th. The series has also been satirised; The Simpsons' 2007 episode "Springfield Up" is narrated by an Apted-like filmmaker who depicts the past and current lives of a group of Springfield residents he has revisited every eight years.

The original hypothesis of Seven Up! was that class structure is so strong in the UK that a person's life path would be set at birth. The producer of the original programme had at one point thought to line the children up on the street, have three of them step forward and narrate "of these twenty children, only three will be successful" (an idea which was not used). The idea of class immobility held up in most, but not all, cases as the series has progressed. The children from the working classes have by and large remained in those circles, though Tony seems to have become more middle class. Apted has said that one of his regrets is that they did not take feminism in to account, and consequently had fewer girls in their study and did not select them on the basis of any possible careers they might choose.

Although it began as a political documentary, the series has become a film of human nature and existentialism. In the director's commentary for 42 Up, Apted comments that he did not realise the series had changed tone from political to personal until 21 Up, when he showed the film to American friends who encouraged him to submit it (successfully) to American film festivals. Apted also comments that this realisation was a relief to him and allowed the films to breathe a little more.

Criticism[link]

The Up series has been criticised by both ethnographers and the subjects themselves for its editing style. Mitchell Duneier has pointed out that Apted has the ability to create causal relationships between a character's past and present that might not actually exist.^[9] Apted has acknowledged this fact, pointing out that in 21 Up he believed Tony would soon be in prison so he filmed him around dangerous areas for use in later films.^[10]

Influence on participants[link]

Over the course of the project the programme has in varying degrees had a direct effect on the lives of its participants. The series became popular enough that the participants often speak of being recognised in public. Their opinions of being involved in the series are often mentioned, and vary greatly among the participants. John refers to the programme as a poison pill that he is subjected to every seven years, while Paul's wife credits the series for keeping their marriage together. Michael Apted has commented that one of the big surprises between filming 42 Up and 49 Up was the impact of reality television. The subjects really wanted to talk about how they saw their contribution to the series in the light of reality TV.

Paul and Nick were flown back to England at Granada's expense for the filming of 35 Up and 42 Up respectively. Paul was flown back again for 49 Up and visited Symon. Bruce was affected by Neil's plight and offered him temporary shelter in his home shortly before 42 Up, allowing Neil time to get settled in London. Despite Neil's eccentricities during his two-month stay, they clearly remained friends, with Neil later giving a reading at Bruce's wedding.

List of films and premiere dates[link]

Similar documentaries[link]

• A new version was started in 2000, 7Up 2000 (2000, Julian Farino), continuing with 14 Up 2000 in 2007.
• Australia – by Gillian Armstrong
  • Smokes and Lollies (1975)
  • 14's Good, 18's Better (1980)
  • Bingo, Bridesmaids & Braces (1988)
  • Not Fourteen Again (1996)
  • Love, Lust & Lies (2009)
• Belgium
  • Jambers, 1980–1990. Two part documentary by TV journalist Paul Jambers on Flemish public TV channel about secondary school students in Kapellen, near Antwerp.
• Canada
  • Talk 16 (1991) and Talk 19 (1993), directed and written by Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell of Back Alley Film Productions.
• Czech Republic – by Helena Třeštíková.
  • René, a single episode portrait of a man over 20 years, starting in the late 1980s. René at the Internet Movie Database
• France
  • Que deviendront-ils ? from Michel Fresnel (1984 to 1996).
• Germany
  • Die Kinder von Golzow by Winfried Junge, set in former East Germany as well as in unified Germany after 1990 (1961 to 2006).
  • Berlin - Ecke Bundesplatz by Detlef Gumm and Hans-Georg Ullrich. The documentary follows individuals, families or groups of related people in separate episodes each around one hour. Broadcast in four seasons on 3sat.
    • 1999: Der Prominenten-Anwalt, Bäckermeister im Kiez, Wilmersdorfer Witwen, Die nächste Generation, Die Alleinerziehende, Der Aussteiger
    • 2001: Grenzgänger, Solisten
    • 2004: Kinder! Kinder!, Alte Freunde, Vereinigungen, Recht und Ordnung
    • 2009: Mütter und Töchter, Die Aussteiger, Schön ist die Jugend..., Die Köpcke-Bande, Der Yilmaz-Clan
• Denmark
  • Årgang 0 by TV2 (2000) – The show follows the children, born in the year 2000, from birth.
• Japan – follows thirteen children living in different parts of Japan.
  • 7 Up Japan (1992)
  • 14 Up Japan (1999)
  • 21 Up Japan (2006)
• The Netherlands
  • Bijna volwassen (1982) – follows a group of 17–18-year-olds.
  • Bijna 30 (1994)
  • Bijna 40 (2005)
• South Africa – by Angus Gibson
  • 7 Up in South Africa (1992)
  • 14 Up in South Africa (1999)
  • 21 Up South Africa (2007)
• Sweden by Rainer Hartleb. About a group of children from Jordbro, a suburb of Stockholm.^[11]
  • Från en barndomsvärld (1973)
  • Barnen från Jordbro (1982)
  • Tillbaka till Jordbro (1988)
  • Det var en gång... en liten flicka (1992)
  • En pizza i Jordbro (1994)
  • Nya barn i Jordbro (2001)
  • Alla mår bra (2006)
• USSR/Former Soviet republics – by Sergei Miroshnichenko and Jemma Jupp.
  • Age 7 in the USSR (1990)
  • 14 Up Born in the USSR (1998) (this won an International Emmy)
  • Born in the USSR: 21 Up (2005)
  • Born in the USSR: 28 Up (2012)
• United States
  • Age 7 in America (1991) directed by Phil Joanou
  • 14 Up in America (1998)
  • 21 Up in America (2006) directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn
• Married in America (2002) also by Michael Apted

Bibliography[link]

• Stella Bruzzi (2007), Seven Up. London: British Film Institute.

See also[link]

• Boyhood, a film that will follow a boy from the age of six through to eighteen in real time over twelve years.
• Child of Our Time is a BBC/The Open University documentary which follows the lives of 25 children who were born around the turn of the millennium.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Seven Up! at the Internet Movie Database
• 7 Plus Seven at the Internet Movie Database
• 21 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 28 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 35 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 42 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 49 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 56 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• Transcript of a British Film Institute appearance and interview with Apted
• P.O.V. 49 Up - PBS's site dedicated to the film